Zee TV brings back the scare fest with 'Fear Files – Har Mod Pe Darr'

Multiple production houses such as Essel Vision, BBC India, Bodhi Tree Productions and Shree Jagganaath Productions have been roped in for Season 2, which goes on air from April 25

Aanchal Kohli | Mumbai | April 20, 2015

Zee TV is all set with the second season of its drama-documentary horror series, 'Fear Files'. The first season of 'Fear Files' garnered encouraging numbers and revolved around the truth behind some of the most intriguing, unfathomable events that have taken place across different parts of India. The second edition of the franchise, 'Fear Files – Har Mod Pe Darr', is based on a simple insight that 'You can run... But you cannot hide... it is closer to you than you think... because fear can haunt you every step of the way!'

Slated to go on air from April 25, 2015, 'Fear Files – Har Mod pe Darr' will air every Saturday and Sunday at 10.30 pm. The series has been created and conceptualised by multiple production houses as Zee's content engine – Essel Vision, BBC India, Bodhi Tree Productions and Shree Jagganaath Productions.

Pradeep Hejmadi

Pradeep Hejmadi, Business Head, Zee TV, elaborated, “After receiving a great response for the first season, we thought of exploring another edition in a new and unique way. This season, we will be exploring psychological fear and other forms of fear that people in India face.”

On the marketing front, Hejmadi said that there will be a huge push everywhere. “Almost all the mediums will be effectively used, be it television, OOH, print and digital. Tier 2 and 3 cities are also covered extensively as they contribute a substantial percentage in our overall viewership pie. Apart from Zee's own bouquet, we will be using various other news channels and music channels too,” he added. Meanwhile, all the major dailies will be covered for the print innovation.

When asked how Zee is expecting to gauge the responses to its show/s since it is a ratings dark period for the television industry, Hejmadi replied, “Quantitatively, TAM was a benchmark and was a good barometer to understand audiences' acceptance, but outside that, we regularly keep conducting researches to understand the response of our shows and also to keep abreast of the growing needs and demands of the viewers.”

When asked about Zee TV's attention towards its weekend slots, Hejmadi said, “We have always looked at strengthening weekends as we believe that that is the quality time for the entire family. So, when it comes to the content we plan for this band, the attempt has always been to bring in variety so that there's something for each member of the family.”

Elaborating further, he said, “With 'Neeli Chhatri Wale', we have a light-hearted, slice-of-life drama that brings a smile to your face. 'Maharaskshak Devi' gives viewers a superhero they can idolise. 'DID Super Moms', that gives a platform to the talent of the country's most graceful mothers, has opened up to be the biggest launch of the year. So, as we attempt to consolidate content that rules both the mind space and the heart space of the viewers, the only flavour missing in this exciting ensemble was a thriller, and the second season of 'Fear Files' will fill that gap. The objective is to stimulate the viewers, excite them by getting them to contemplate about mysterious phenomena and cope with fear. We've enlisted the expertise of multiple production houses, who are working on different briefs that will explore the entire gamut of situations that evoke fear.”

Akash Chawla

Akash Chawla, Business Head, Essel Vision Productions, added here, “Essel Vision, the content engine of Zee, drove the first season of the immensely successful franchise 'Fear Files'. It was not only a new format that we jointly pioneered with Zee, but a show that set new benchmarks in the way horror stories were narrated on television. The theme we are exploring in the new season is 'Haunted Objects'. The first episode from our stable looks at a bride's traumatic experience with a possessed lehenga. As our show caters to mass audiences, we steer clear of explicit gore. The objective is to scale up the production values and deliver impactful episodes that keep the viewers on the edge of their seats.”

Myleeta Aga of BBC Productions, said, “In our conversations with Zee TV, we understood their plans to re-launch 'Fear Files' with a fresh approach to fear. We tapped into our strength at BBC India as producers of romance and action driven reality shows and proposed telling stories of what happens when love turns into terror. This is the foundation of our first few stories for 'Fear Files'.”

Mautik Tolia of Bodhi Tree Productions added here, “The core theme of the episodes is supernatural elements, inspired by real life incidents and urban legends. It is about fear that can come to you in the confines of everyday lives of ordinary individuals. How these individuals cope with their fears, overcome it and triumph over all odds forms the core of the episodes that we are doing. The presentation of the episodes is cutting edge in terms of treatment, which will be a complete paradigm shift over anything that has ever been attempted in television horror genre before.”

Producer Aditya Singh of Shri Jagganaath Entertainment said, “We've had a long association with Zee TV and horror. We had earlier produced 'Rooh' for Zee TV in 2005. 'Fear Files' is an extremely strong brand on Zee and has offered a new dimension to horror. Fear of the unknown, as a concept, has universal appeal. Our pitch is that fear is lurking just around the corner. It can grip you anywhere, anytime. To bring alive this proposition, we are shooting across the country at reportedly haunted places.”

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